We (Dunfermline Athletic) released no less than 11 players yesterday after our relegation from the SPL. Kinda glad really. We had an awful season and the squad was festering and full of ageing players who were doing little more than claiming a wage. It'll be good now to see what youngsters we bring in to replace them.

We have mostly played top flight Scottish football for the majority of my life, but we spent the four years prior to this one in the Scottish First Division. We had our best years in recent times when we were top 4 in Scotland and qualifying for Europe, got to three cup finals, between sort of 2002 and 2006/7.

It's not really just about Glasgow, it's all caught up in a particularly Scottish West Coast & Northern Irish problem. Religion. Aside from the fact that fans naturally gravitate to more successful teams, meaning they have more money to improve their side, Rangers are viewed as a protestant side & Celtic a catholic one, also an Irish one. Basically it's the entire 20th century history of the island of Ireland in a sporting setting. And so it gets passed down from generation to generation, without people really knowing what their believing in. Honestly, trying to explain it to folk who haven't experiened in either Ulster or Scotland is really hard.

The Old Firm have always been the biggest teams in Scottish football, but until the 1980s the other sides at least got a sniff in occasionally. But with TV revenue being a bigger deal for football clubs, Rangers & Celtic get a much, much bigger slice of the pie than everyone else, & then they get European revenues too. Where as when Aberdeen won the Cup Winners Cup in the 80s, or Dundee United got to the UEFA Cup final there was much lower prize money than there is for even making the Europa League group stages.

But mainly it's a legacy of bigotry & gloryhunting combined.

Safe to say ill be crying myself to sleep. All the papers and TalkSport are reporting that United are in talks with us to sign Leighton Baines. It will be a sad, sad day for us Evertonians when he walks out the door. A fee of around 15 million being talked about. Talk Sport also reporting we are trying to sign Aly Cissokho as a replacement for roughly 6 million. Don't know much about him, but a player starting for Lyon must be decent at least!

I suppose the other 9million will go towards re-signing Steven Pienaar (A MUST SIGN) and possibly fund another transfer target. Heard Landon Donovan wants to return to Everton, would welcome him back with open arms!

http://www.telegraph.co....Eden-Hazard-signing.html

Just thought I'd remind everyone.

Hazard ------------> Chelsea

Kagawa will be a terrific signing for whoever gets him. Eager to see him on MOTD.

Hope Rhodes is able to do better than Villa tbh. No offence but your clubs a bit of a shambles under Randy Lerner.

We don't have a chance of signing him with an 8m price tag. It's not that we don't have the money (which we probably don't anyway) but as you said, Moyes would never pay 8m on a League 1 player.. nobody would, it's ludicrous. Especially after Jermaine Beckford who flopped for us, however he was a free transfer and we managed to make a profit on him. Unless they reduce the price tag, I can't see it.

According to SSN, we (Everton) are sniffing around the top scorer in Holland Bas Dost. Everytime I see his name I think of Das Boot. Apparently West Ham are also looking for him along with a few German sides. From what I've seen/heard, I don't want him. Fair enough he bagged 30 in the Dutch league, but he is very slow and tall. We have Jelavic as a poacher, what we really need is some speed. Unless Moyes is confident that Cahill can go on for another season and that Barkley is ready to step up to the Premier League we will need another attacking midfielder. What a talent Barkley is however, lets hope he avoids the same fate as Rodwell (injury prone) and follows on from another one of our successful academy prospects, Rooney.

Yet again though, im expecting another frustrating summer transfer window for Everton. Linked with little names, free transfers etc. When we will make our first signing on deadline day, and it will either be a loan or free transfer. Tough times without investment.

Never seen Jordan Rhodes play but pretty much what everyone's already said, 8 mil on a player from League 1 is insane. Then again isn't that just what the club wants? Not nessasarily going to get it.

Genuinely don't understand how Villa did badly last season. I always thought they have a pretty good team. I dare say losing Petrov was a part of it but still no excuse for HOW badly they did. I reckon they'll do aright next year though bring in a good manager and they'll be fine.

Also I'm beginning to think Van Persie won't leave. Just have a feeling about it. If Barca and Real are being put off by his wages, the only option is City, and while I can see City wanting him is Van Persie really that much of a dick to go to them? I dunno, Nasri yes, Toure yes, but Van Persie? He seems too loyal.

& Most exciting player for me in the Dutch league last year was John Guidetti. On loan from City, he's brilliant. He got one of the highest goal to game ratios in Dutch league ever, yet there doesn't seem to be a great deal of excitement over him??